Royal Mail Confiscating & Destroying Stoves?

Morning, RW,

Many thanks for your thoughts and suggestions on shipping a stove to the UK. I'm rather stuck as to options, because we live in a small mountain village, and to find a Common Carrier would entail a 1-1/2 hour round trip drive down the mountain, and back. Our little mountain PO knows my ways, and is familiar with me getting and shipping stoves, with no fuel, of course. NO problems on my end, for the time being. I was just worried about the UK clamping down so tightly that ALL stoves coming into the Country would be destroyed! That would break my heart, if that happened to a gift coming from me to a friend in the UK!

Thanks again, for your suggestions, and welcome to CCS, Sir!! Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

Doc, UPS will pick up an item for shipping. So, no need for the drive. I have an hour round trip to town.

Ken in NC

 

Dear Doc, Thanks for your kind words, I originally thought I'd be dropping in on this forum to say my bit and be signing off for good - but you really are a sociable bunch of crazies!. So here I am writing yet another snippet. Anyway, I'll never view my trip to the post office as a chore again now I have fully undestand your lofty location in the US.
I realise now that my previous comments were too UK biased to shed light on your particular problem of shipping stoves into the UK. I didn't make it clear, but mine was intercepted outbound - at UK's Heathrow Airport, (so it was not Australias customs that caught it - if that's a help). Did I get the idea from other posts here that UK inbound items are not scrutinized so closely (I have no direct experience, myself)?
You describe using your post office out of necessity and you hint at 'gift status' to your shipments; but surely even gifts have to be described in writing on customs forms? I would think it would be the contents of that description that might alert the UK inbound end of the chain - even if it got out of the US safely. Since that is in writing, that is what I feared (in my last post) might come back and bite. Were I in your shoes I would be very economical with the truth (not mentioning kerosine or paraffin - or stove) and be emphasising antiquated trade names (Eg Primus) and relying on the youth and historical ignorance of any scrutineers at the UK end of the journey. (This latter based on my grumpy old man perception of the facebook generation - have you seen young kids trying to use a cassette player??.)
That's all the help I can give you without merely spouting opinion - and this seems too rational a forum to tolerate that sort of stuff.
Best Wishes Bob

 

Morning, Ken, and Bob,

Ken, I know that I can arrange such a pick up for UPS, however, up here, I'd have to wait all day for him/her to show up, as there is no set schedule for such things in the mountains. Best to go down into the Village, and let the PO do it.

Bob, thanks, again, for your excellent information. I usually list contents to Stovies as "Parts for repair", or something similar to that. I used to list it as "old camping gear", but thought that, even such a description might invite further investigation. So far, I've never lost a package, even though I've sent them to the UK, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, Australia, Spain, and many other places around the world. Oops, I did forget one problem: Tried to send a new Crux stove to our old friend, Spuds, in Italy, and both times the Italian Post Office lost it, or delivered it to "the street", whereupon it was stolen! So, poor Spuds had to do without his Crux, as it seemed prudent not to buy any more and send them again. But, that's the ONLY problems I've had, which is pretty darned good, actually.

Thanks, again, Gentlemen, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

 

That should fool them.

Ben

 

Fail
Dont drill a hole in the bottom. Take the wire in through the filler hole. Of course still a trick getting it into the riser tube

 

No need to make the "tablke lamp" really working, against bureaucrats, applying with bureaucratic rigidity stupid rules, fake solutions are generally as effective (if non even more effective) then anything else.
My vote for the table lamp.

 

Interesting concept that when British agencies destroy campstoves it's the fault of US Homeland Security.

When US agencies don't destroy stoves, should the Brits get the credit? ;-)

 

Considering that the Tor network which is a bastion of free speech and anonymity on the internet was designed and implemented by the US Navy as a method for it to communicate secretly. Everyone elses use is just at the USnavys conveniance as it helps hide there communication.
It was built on theoretical work from others but the first practical use was Tor
Imagine the Navy talking about terrorists and terrorists talking about the navy and everything going each others servers totaly oblivious to each other but thats how it works

 

Ed, the issue arises from our Nations paranoia for regulations. If they hear of something that happens in the States, and whether it is true or not, our lot go into overdrive. It's the same with regulations supposedly originating from the European Union which may in fact be Global regulations, but the likes of Whitehall or some NGO get hold of it, they then add their bit, and stitch us up.

 

Due to some current difficulties, it had crossed my mind to consider parting with my still unused and as new Primus 535.

Would this thread suggest I need to sell locally only here in Australia?
Or might stripping it to its varies components and posting separately be the way forward.

Sounds like a potentially pricy postage exercise for a potential new owner.

How might one explain this in an eBay listing?

I wont be too sad if it all turns out too hard and I'm forced to keep, which was my original intent but it remains to be seen what I'm forced to prioritise.

 

@Rif

I've sent stoves and lamps overseas from Australia without trouble.

The best thing to do is to clean the tanks, finishing up with acetone and leaving them air for a week. Take out the pump and take off the filler cap. Make sure it is clean and not smelly.

Leave a typed note in the box describing that it does not contain volatile hydrocarbons.

But should it remain in Australia?

Cheers

Tony

 

Apologies for the very late reply Tony.

Some life stuff got in the way around the time of your post and I'd taken a leave of absence.

The stove in question has never had fuel in it, being unused.

I'm about to ask for opinions in the valuation section of the forum.

Regards

Rif

 

@Rif

No worries!

Tony

 

I recently had a Primus 70 stove intercepted by UK Customs. About two weeks ago I received a notification from Ebay that Customs had refused the stove because it was a prohibited item, i.e.: can or cylinder containing compressed fuel. It did not matter that the stove did not have fuel in it nor that it was not compressed. I was refunded my cost but I still want a model 70. I guess the shipper (UK based) was not aware that that the stove would be stopped and confiscated by Customs. Sad and ridiculous that they are destroying this historic stoves...and they are still relevant today.

 

US or UK customs? I can't imagine UK customs would have the slightest interest in a stove leaving the UK.

Terry

 

Royal Mail or UK Customs is confiscating them. You can ship almost anything in the US as long as it is properly labeled.

 

United Kingdom is confiscating them and destroying them.....for safety. SAD, SAD, SAD.
Here is the message I received from EvilBay on my purchase of a Model 70 beauty.
So this was intercepted in the UK at Alfreton, Derbyshire.
Not restricted by USA.
Now I don't even bid on stoves or lanterns originating in UK.


Undeliverable - Item restricted at Global Shipping Center

May-26-17, 19:36 PM, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 2JL

Delay at Global Shipping Center - Item Potentially Restricted

May-25-17, 18:06 PM, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 2JL

Processing at Global Shipping Center

May-25-17, 18:05 PM, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 2JL

Tracking Details Uploaded

May-22-17, 20:30 PM

 

Hi @gremlin70 and @Edgar It is frustrating but understandable why there are shipping restrictions on potentially dangerous items, particularly when passenger aircraft are often used for carrying mail and packages.
As to whether it is just the UK who indulges in such practices:


https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/usps-postal-restrictions.27415/

Best Regards,
Kerophile.

 

Reply I received fro Juliands; stove / parts seller in the UK

New message from: juliands (11,522)
Hi there
The reason it will have been destroyed is because it will have been sent with royal mail, they have a policy that if its seen or x-rayed then they class it as dangerous goods.
We restore these stoves and lamps regularly and we ship them all with DHL, with DHL as long as you declare that the tank is none pressurised and steam cleaned there is no problem at all. I would like to say thanks for taking the time to send the message, we only use royal mail for domestic anything outside UK it has to go with DHL.
Kind regards
Julian